Welding to Chrome???

CrashKnott

CrashKnott

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2007
Location
Upstate, SC
Long story short, I ended up with chromed steel rims (F***kin 4WheelParts was already 2 months late, and I wasn't about to wait another month for black steelies).

Sooo, I'm hoping to get some beadlocks for these bling'in bad-boys soon (before the end of the year), and didn't know what I can do for surface prep.

I know chrome is conductive, so do I need to do anything? Do I need to send them off to get blasted?...will that even remove the chrome? Leave 'em outside with a buncha salt smeared across the areas of concern?

I don't care if they're chrome afterwards or not

HELP!?!?
 
The chrome will come off in spatters if you try to weld to it. bet rid of the chrome where you wanna weld w/ a grinder.
Bye-Bye chrome!


Matt
 
X3 what they said or turn the heat up
 
I'm afraid the Miller 175 won't go up high enough to compensate for burning off another layer of crap. Now that you mention it though, one of the rims looks to have been welded after it was chromed (2 pc)...hmmmm

I wasn't sure if a wire wheel would even take this crap off.

'Preciate it fellas! BLING BLING!
 
I usually take it down with a 4" grinder till you get above and below that copper color, then it welds fine.
 
Chrome is Zinc and Nickel, I believe. Zinc don't like to weld at all! The copper below it's even worse. You could try to burn through it, but I and many other welders would have to call you an idiot. Nothing personal, we're required by the union. My suggeston would be to get a couple of good flap wheels for a 4.5" grinder. Klingspor and Mercer make killer disks, settle for Mibro if you have to. Get 40 or 60 grit and get to work. Grind off everywhere that's going to get welded, and at least 3/4" back from that. You don't need ANY threat of impurities getting into a beadlock weld. Hell, you're taking a risk doing it yourself anyway! I don't know your weld skills, but there's a reason most beadlocks are not DOT approved. Imagine what it would look like if one busted the weld going down the highway. Again, nothing personal. Union regulations. ;)

Remember. when I said grind 3/4" back, I mean on BOTH sides of the weld. impurities tend to wick their way in when they get hot. You want the metal CLEAN. You might even want to use that flap wheel to bevel the rim of the wheel a little just to ensure good, deep penetration. I recommend flap wheels because, well, they're the shit! They clean and grind as well as a rock disk, better in most cases, and it's much easier to achieve a nice, uniform surface with them. Plus, they don't explode as easily.

Enjoy your project. Let us know if you have any more questions. I'd be happy to TIG them up for you, (for a small fee of course,) but you're there, and I'm up here.
 
It seems to me it'dd be alot less work to just either deal with the pain of returning them (I know, this is not desired) or find somebody to trade them.....Just my .02
 
Yes, I'm an idiot, plus I've had metal fume fever before to, lot like the flu, just hits you quicker!
 
I think the consensus is about what I expected, and I'll flap-disk off everything in, on, around, between, over, under, across, and in the midst of my weld area and the relative few inches.

Thanks guys, and it'll be a few months. I'll post up the update when it's time though

Returning them is not an option...they already got an extra chunk of my change because I changed the order...nevermind the penalties of having it shipped then retuning it.

I'll stick with these, at least they're straight for now!
 
I welded up a set on some chrome steelies no problem. all i did was hit it with a flap disc, buzzed the finish off, and welded them on. I only spent about 5 minutes prepping each wheel. Mine dont leak a bit of air either.
 
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